Why Fall is a Great Time to Plant
You’ve seen the advertising slogan “Fall is for Planting” at garden centers in late summer through fall. This slogan is so simple yet so true. The cooler temperatures of the fall season decrease the heat stress and water requirements of plants 
that are transplanted or newly planted. Usually fall comes with increased rainfall which requires less demand on irrigation systems and other supplemental water to get new plant roots well-established. Planting and transplanting are stressful to any plant at any time of the year. It is fall’s cooler air temperatures that put less demand on the plants need for water uptake from the root system.
The most overlooked benefit to fall plantings is that the ground soil temperatures are warm which helps stimulate new root development. If identical plants are planted in the spring verses the fall, the fall plant will establish more quickly due to the warmer soil temperatures. Summer can also be a good time to plant as long as you can keep up with the much needed water in the usually extremely hot conditions of the summer.
It’s all about the roots
Roots are truly the anchor to a healthy plant. They not only stabilize the plant within the soil, uptake water and nutrients, but they develop a foundation upon which the new plant with grow. Since fall plantings have had a chance to establish new roots, when spring arrives, they start to grow immediately since they don’t have to spend time creating their new “foundation” of roots. So, “fall really is for planting!”
